Village at the End of the World, 2012.
Directed by Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson.
SYNOPSIS:
A documentary following the inhabitants of Niaqornat, a fishing village in Greenland whose way of life is threatened by the forces of economic globalisation and climate change.
Village at the End of the World follows a year in life of the remote fishing village Niaqornat in Northern Greenland. Niaqornat is populated by only 59 people and survives on the strength of its fishing exports, a way of life threatened by a proposed withdrawal of government subsidy. Film makers Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson document the villagers as they wrestle with the huge social and economic challenges they face in maintaining the very existence of their culture.
Although sensitive and supportive to the plight of the villagers, the central theme of the film is one of the inevitability of the decline of the village due to both internal and external factors. The community is not economically self-sufficient and therefore faces ruin when the government of Greenland clarifies it will no longer subsidise the existence of such remote villages, leading to speculation that men of working age will have to move to earn enough to make a living. At the same time and perhaps more damagingly to the long term prospects of the community, the youngest inhabitants of Niaqornat are being put in touch with alternative possibilities for their lives by the internet. One interviewee poignantly talks of his fondness for New York and American culture with an enthusiasm that suggests that one way or another, he will never be fully happy having been exposed to options that his ancestors couldn’t have dreamed of.
Paradoxically, focusing so intently on the quaint, isolated ways of the inhabitants of the village makes it increasingly obvious throughout the film that this village (and perhaps all villages like it) are unsustainable in the modern world. The film makers do an excellent job of avoiding the common documentary trap of forcing their own opinion on the viewer through voiceover and selective editing, preferring instead to allow the villagers to speak entirely for themselves. The ‘space’ left for viewers to make their own minds up about the subject matter is admirable, particularly in contrast to some of the more heavy-handed documentaries that have touched on themes of globalisation and ecology in recent years and different viewers may take wildly contrasting impressions from the film.
Village at the End of the World is very well shot, capturing some spectacular visuals of a beautiful landscape, albeit one enveloped with an ever present, biting cold. The film is commendable in its ‘show, don’t tell’ approach that allows the warmth and humanity of the close knit community to shine through and there are occasional moments of hope and humour. This is a well balanced and thoughtful documentary that fully captures the reality of its subject but is unfortunately too pedestrian and at times lacking in focus to merit a recommendation. As a study in anthropology this is an excellent work but this is a film without aspirations to mainstream appeal and therefore one for its niche audience only.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Ryan O’Neill
Originally published July 8, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
